Implementation of the GAA 'healthy clubs project' in Ireland: a qualitative study using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

The sports clubs' role in promoting health has been acknowledged by policy makers and researchers, but there is little evidence on how sports clubs implement health-related interventions. The present article investigates the Gaelic Athletic Association Healthy Club Project (HCP) implementation process (mechanisms, barriers, leverages) over a 10-year timeframe. A case study design helped to produce and compare a data synthesis for five clubs involved since 2013. A qualitative iterative data collection, including document analysis was conducted through 20 focus groups with Healthy Club Officers, coaches, participants and members. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used in the deductive analysis process, conducted by the first author. Results have shown the success of the HCP in placing health promotion on the agenda of sports clubs leading to informal policy for health promotion, even if activities and recognition are directed toward and coming from the community. This study also underlines the virtuous cycle of the settings-based approach in enhancing membership and volunteer recognition through health promotion actions, and the importance of social good and corporate social activities for sports clubs. Nevertheless, the HCP still relies on limited human resources, is not recognized by competitive oriented adult playing members. and acknowledged as a resource by some coaches, limiting its rootedness in the core business of sports clubs. Future research should empower the HCP community to focus on organizational changes and develop outcomes for individuals, for the club as a whole as well as for the local community.

Building health-promoting sports clubs: a participative concept mapping approach.

OBJECTIVES: The potential of sports clubs to promote health beyond physical activity has been acknowledged by researchers and policy-makers. This study gathered stakeholder ideas on support sports clubs need to increase health promotion efforts and prioritize them based on importance and feasibility. STUDY DESIGN: The study design used in this study is a mixed-methods concept mapping approach. METHODS: French sports and public health stakeholders (n = 45) were invited to participate. Steps included are as follows: (1) formulating a focus prompt, (2) brainstorming statements in response to the focus prompt, (3) sorting statements into themed piles, and (4) rating statements based on indicators. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to produce visual cluster maps, and descriptive statistics generated Go-Zone graphs based on mean importance and feasible ratings. RESULTS: Participants generated 62 statements from the focus prompt: 'What assistance would benefit sports clubs to become a health-promoting setting?'. Final sorting produced 9 clusters: Tools for health promotion, Communication tools, Stakeholder training courses, Diagnostic and Financing, Awareness and Mobilization, Advocacy, Policies and Methods, Sharing and Networking, as well as Communication and Dissemination. Participant ratings produced 34 statements within the Go-Zone graphs. CONCLUSION: Understanding stakeholders' needs to increase health promotion activities in sports clubs is crucial to planning and implementing sustainable health promotion policies and practice. Priority areas include increasing awareness of health promotion benefits, mobilizing actors, advocating for support, and educating sports club actors.

How do mobile health applications support behaviour changes? A scoping review of mobile health applications relating to physical activity and eating behaviours.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to analyse how researchers conducting studies about mobile health applications (MHApps) effectiveness assess the conditions of this effectiveness. STUDY DESIGN: A scoping review according to PRIMSA-ScR checklist. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of efficacy/effectiveness conditions in high internal validity studies assessing the efficacy of MHApps in changing physical activity behaviours and eating habits. We used the PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and PsycINFO databases and processed the review according to the O'Malley and PRISMA-ScR recommendations. We selected studies with high internal validity methodologies (randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses), dealing with dietary and/or physical activity behaviours; covering primary, secondary or tertiary prevention and dealing with behaviour change (uptake, maintenance). We excluded articles on MHApps relating to high-level sport and telemedicine. The process for selecting studies followed a set protocol with two authors who independently appraised the studies. RESULTS: Twenty-two articles were finally selected and analysed. We noted that the mechanisms and techniques to support behaviour changes were poorly reported and studied. There was no explanation of how these MHApps work and how they could be transferred or not. Indeed, the main efficacy conditions reported by authors refer to practical aspects of the tools. Moreover, the issue of social inequalities was essentially reduced to access to the technology (the shrinking access divide), and literacy was poorly studied, even though it is an important consideration in digital prevention. All in all, even when they dealt with behaviours, the evaluations were tool-focused rather than intervention-focused and did not allow a comprehensive assessment of MHApps. CONCLUSION: To understand the added value of MHApps in supporting behaviour changes, it seems important to draw on the paradigms relating to health technology assessment considering the characteristics of the technologies and on the evaluation of complex interventions considering the characteristics of prevention. This combined approach may help to clarify how these patient-focused MHApps work and is a condition for improved assessment of MHApps in terms of effectiveness, transferability and scalability.

Comparison of coaches' perceptions and officials guidance towards health promotion in French sport clubs: a mixed method study.

Despite the call to improve health promotion (HP) in sport clubs in the existing literature, little is known about sport clubs' organizational capacity. Grounded within the setting-based framework, this study compares HP activities and guidance among 10 football clubs. At least three grassroots coaches from each club (n = 68) completed the Health Promoting Sports Clubs scale to assess their perceptions of HP; an official (n = 10) was interviewed about club's activities and official's guidance provided to coaches. A concurrent embedded design with quantitative results guiding the qualitative analysis was used. Despite no significant differences regarding coaches' perceptions of HP between the 10 sport clubs, except for the policy dimension, officials' interviews revealed some contradictions. Sport participation was recognized as automatically promoting HP, meaning that sport practice entails many benefits, without questioning the nature of the activities. HP was considered as a secondary aim in regard to sport performance, leading to the lack of written policies, partnerships and sporadic HP activities. Future interventions should consider: (i) the creation of required policy and long-term vision; (ii) the link between HP and sport performance; (iii) the rootedness of sport clubs within their community and (iv) guidelines towards HP from sport federations.

Evaluation of the Coaches Educators training implementation of the PAPA project: A comparison between Norway and France.

This study cross-culturally compares the implementation process of the Empowering Coaching™ training program to grassroots coaches (GCs) by trained Coach Educators (CEs) from the Promoting Adolescent Physical Activity project in Norway and France. This program targets children's health through coach training to create a more positive environment. Using the RE-AIM framework, indicators of implementation processes at staff level were defined for adoption, implementation, and maintenance. CEs (n = 18) were interviewed about their professional use of the training, and video-filmed delivering the intervention trial workshops. GCs (n = 185) responded to a questionnaire after the workshops. Results showed that CEs were keen to participate in this project (16/18; 89%), to stay involved (12/16; 75%), and to diffuse the principles after the research project (12/12; 100%). CE training seemed effective as results indicated that CEs applied the principles of the program during the workshops and covered a high degree of the content (78%). Cross-cultural differences were found as the French Football Federation CE dropped out of the program, as Norwegian CEs delivered the content with higher fidelity and had higher enjoyment and pace scores than French CEs. More indicators are needed to use the RE-AIM framework for cross-cultural comparison.